


even when my body blows away my soul will stay

by frankchurchillsaysrelax



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Friendship, Gen, I Tried, Reunions, at least i hope so, with hints of those romantic feelings we know they have
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-10 22:12:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11700903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frankchurchillsaysrelax/pseuds/frankchurchillsaysrelax
Summary: Arya is reunited with her siblings and, to her unwelcome surprise, Gendry. The changes in the young Stark do not go unnoticed by those who care for her the most.





	even when my body blows away my soul will stay

**Author's Note:**

> Other than reading every gendrya fic I could find on here and watching various videos on youtube, I have zero experience with Game of Thrones. Why write a fic for the GoT fandom then? Good question, and if I ever come up with an answer I’ll let you know. 
> 
> Basically I have recently become obsessed with the ship and stayed up until 5am writing this the other night. The voices are probably off and there are probably incorrect facts, but I posted it on Tumblr a few days ago and some people seemed to like it. 
> 
> Feel free to tell me if it sucks, just please be nice. And if you’re still reading this after that glowing recommendation I just gave, thank you and I hope you like it.

Jon returns to Winterfell weary and beaten from the unexpected attack. He’s brought Gendry, the recently discovered bastard of Robert Baratheon, back with him, his only two other surviving men having retreated to their own homes for the night. He’s hoping he can convince the other bastard to stay and put his talents to use with the dragonglass they’ve acquired. There is much to be done, but first he will sleep for as long as he can manage. 

No sooner have they stepped inside the castle than Sansa is rushing towards them. Her strides are long and purposeful, and a rare smile graces her lips. 

Before she can speak Jon heaves a sigh as best as he can in his current state. “Whatever it is Sansa, can it wait until morning?”

“There are people here wanting to see you,” she replies in a rush. “He’ll already know you’re here of course, but I suppose that will have to wait until morning.” She casts an odd glance at the stairs. “And she arrived just a few days ago. She doesn’t sleep much so I’m sure we can expect her any minute.” 

“What are you talking about?” Jon asks as soon as he can get a word in. 

Just then they hear the unmistakable sound of footsteps running through the halls. His first instinct is to reach for his sword as the mysterious visitor gets closer, but when she rounds the corner the thought leaves his mind and suddenly his arms are full and he’s holding on for dear life. 

He’d barely had enough time to register who it was, but even though she is older now he would recognize that face anywhere. 

“ _Arya_.” 

The sound comes from behind him. Honestly he’d forgotten Gendry was even there, and he doesn’t understand why the young man is speaking his sister’s name as if it’s a prayer. 

The arms around him tighten for a moment before going slack as she slides to the floor. 

“What are you doing here?” Her voice is lower than he remembers, another sign that she is not the little girl he lost, and there’s hardly a trace of emotion. 

Gendry takes a tentative step forward but he seems to be in shock. His mouth is open, but no words are coming forth. 

“You can leave now, you bastard.” It’s hard to tell in the dim lighting but Jon thinks he sees tears forming in her eyes. 

“Arya!” he snaps. “You are neither King nor Queen last I checked. It is not your decision who comes and goes.” 

He has no idea what is happening with these two, but he promised Gendry a place to rest and heal. He owes him that much for keeping him alive. 

Before Arya can argue he turns to Sansa. “Can you have a room prepared for Gendry, and see to it that he gets anything he needs to tend to his wounds?” 

The red head casts a worried glance between the two other occupants of the room before giving a sharp nod and turning on her heel to find someone to do as he’s said. 

Gendry still stands there, staring dumbly at Arya, but soon he turns slowly to follow after Sansa. 

Jon wraps an arm around Arya and silently begins to lead her back to her room. Whatever is going on, he can deal with it in the morning.

* * *

She doesn’t mean to listen in on their conversation, but something tells her that if she’s going to learn anything about who her little sister now is it will be because of this man. Bran would surely have answers, but she knows he’ll tell her nothing on this matter. 

Her voice, everything about her, is so different now. Her words are spoken low and flat. How many times had Sansa and her mother prayed for Arya to contain her outbursts and speak as a proper lady should? She’d give anything to hear her curse and carry on right now. 

But while her demeanor has calmed, her actions are like that of a wild animal. Her table manners have gotten worse, if that’s even possible, and she is entirely too skittish. Apart from the hugs they’d each received upon seeing her again, Arya looks like she’s ready to attack any time she, or Jon, or anyone gets too close. 

Since she learned of Bran’s new gift she has avoided being anywhere near him, and Sansa desperately wants to know what she’s so afraid of him seeing.

She wants to understand what could cause these changes; wonders if her baby sister has had to endure anything like her own experiences in the last few years. So she listens. 

“I’m not the same girl you remember.” 

“I know,” he says with a teasing smile that Sansa thinks a little too familiar, “m’lady is nearly a lady grown.” 

Whatever reaction he’d been trying to draw from her sister never comes. Instead, her next words seem to shock them both. 

“Have you ever killed someone?” 

“You know I have,” he finally responds. 

“In battle?” 

“Yes.” 

“Did you enjoy it?” 

“Well, I was rather fond of surviving.” He runs a hand over his short hair uneasily. Sansa feels a bit uneasy herself. 

“I’m not the same girl you remember. That girl was all uncontrollable anger, she acted before she thought. I’ve learned to channel that anger; I use it, and I take my time.” 

Sansa hopes that he’ll ask Arya what she means by that, but the younger girl has exited the room before he finds his voice. 

He watches her go with a look of pure heartbreak in his eyes. Sansa turns her back. She realizes now that this was not a moment for her to witness.

* * *

“Where are you going? It’s the middle of the night in case you hadn’t noticed.” He’s freezing. Nearly a week at Winterfell and he still hasn’t adjusted to the harsh Northern cold. 

“Go back inside Gendry.” He hates the way she refuses to call him anything but his given name. 

“After you, my lady.” 

Same as every day since their reunion, she doesn’t even flinch at his use of the title.

“I came back to see Jon, to see if he needed my help.” Her voice is soft and hollow, the words clipped and to the point. “He doesn’t, and there’s something I need to do before I can think about returning home permanently.” 

“I’m coming with you,” he says without pause. 

“No, you aren’t.” She doesn’t even look at him. 

He moves to prepare his own horse. He didn’t arrive with much, but he knows that if he goes to collect anything she’ll just leave without him. No matter, they’ll be back. He’ll bring her home. 

“You don’t even know where I’m going. It could be dangerous.” 

“I’d expect nothing less.” 

“You swore loyalty to Jon. But I suppose that means nothing to you.” There’s the slightest hint of venom in her tone. It’s a pale imitation of what he remembers. 

He feels bad for abandoning Jon, but there are other smiths in the area and with any luck Arya’s task won’t keep them away too long. 

He doesn’t know how she’ll react to what he needs to say, but that’s never stopped him from speaking his mind with her in the past. 

“It means something. But Jon isn’t my family, you are. Wherever you go I’m sticking with you this time.” 

He’s imagined saying that to her for years, imagined the various ways she might react if he ever got the chance to tell her. She doesn’t disappoint. She whirls around quickly and for a moment he sees her, he sees Arry. 

“What, you find out you’re a Baratheon and suddenly you think you’re good enough?” 

“Gods, memory did not do your stubbornness justice m’lady.” There is a small reaction this time, a tightness to her jaw, a thinness in her lips. “Now, will you allow me to accompany you or do I need to follow you? I’ve gotten quite good at tracking, you know.” 

It takes a moment but she finally responds. “Keep up or I’m leaving you behind.” She mounts her horse in a fluid motion and he is quick to do the same. 

Once they’ve reached the gates she stops and turns her head to face him, biting her lip. Her features are neutral, apart from her eyes; whatever horrors she had encountered since they parted ways were not enough to dim the expressive nature of her grey eyes. Her voice has more emotion in it than he’s heard in days. In years. 

“ _I_ always believed you were enough.” She turns and commands her horse to move before he can say anything, but as he follows her (anywhere, everywhere) he hears her mumble something low under her breath. 

“ _Stupid_.” 

It gives him hope.

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this or have any feedback I'd really love to hear it. Either way, thanks for reading!


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